Tristan Stubbs made his Mumbai Indians debut on Thursday in the IPL 2022 after a phone call sealed his destiny for the five-time champions.
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Young South African power-hitter Tristan Stubbs made his debut for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Thursday against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Stubbs was roped in by the five-time champions after their left-arm pacer Tymal Mills was ruled out of the lucrative tournament in the middle of the season due to an ankle injury. So who is Stubbs and why is he rated highly?
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Stubbs is known for his brilliant stroke-making as an Eastern province player for South Africa. He made his debut in 2019-20 in domestic cricket and instantly grabbed the limelight for his power-hitting. He hit a first-class century (105 runs) in his second match where his ability to naturally strike the ball was on display. Later, in 2021, he made his T20 debut for Warriors franchise and with his tall frame which makes shot hitting easy, he continues to make rapid rise as a professional cricketer.
Stubbs has an eye-catching record in T20s. He has amassed over 500 runs at an average of 38.92 and a strike rate of 157.14. It should also be noted that the young South African batter has notched up a boundary in every six deliveries which makes him a major asset for any T20 franchise and caught the attention of Mumbai Indians. “Yesterday morning we were at the golf course actually, when my dad phoned me and I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy! It’s actually happening,’” Stubbs had told Mumbai Indians after joining the squad.
Moreover what makes Stubbs more special is that he is finishing abilities which can prove to be handy for Mumbai Indians in their remaining matches of the IPL 2022 and in their future. He has the second-best strike-rate record for a batter who has faced 100 deliveries in the final four overs of a T20 innings, only behind South Africa great AB de Villiers. The youngster has a strike rate of 221.29 and has hit 20 sixes in 108 balls and 14 fours in 108 deliveries.
His brilliance has caught the attention of the national selectors as he has been considered as the next big thing in T20 cricket. Stubbs had made the headlines in the CSA T20 challenge in 2022 as the second-highest run-scorer with 293 runs in seven matches at an average of 48.83 and a strike rate of 183.12. He had smashed 23 sixes in the tournament which was 10 more than the next best hitter which caught the attention of IPL scouts.
